Authorities investigate mysterious Palestine flag placement on Vienna church

• Two Palestinian flags appeared atop Vienna Votive Church spires during a demonstration.
• The Archdiocese condemned the incident as a political misuse of the church.
• No surveillance footage exists, leaving authorities uncertain how the flags were placed.

Two Palestinian flags were spotted last week on the spires of the Vienna Votive Church.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Vienna, Michael Prüller, told the APA on Tuesday that the parish only became aware of the flags on Saturday evening. Initial removal attempts were unsuccessful, but on Tuesday afternoon, the flags were finally taken down with the help of a crane.

The flags are believed to have been placed by unknown individuals, possibly during a demonstration organized by the platform Palästina Solidarität Österreich (Palestine Solidarity Austria).

Prüller emphasized that the church had no involvement, calling the incident a “misdeed that we do not have to tolerate, because a church is being politically instrumentalized.” He added, “They apparently climbed up there themselves,” noting that all doors and entrances are normally locked.

The Archdiocese expressed strong disapproval, with a spokesperson stating, “We strongly protest the instrumentalization of the church for political purposes.”

The incident raised further questions because the church lacks video surveillance, both inside and outside, leaving investigators uncertain how the individuals gained access to the towers.

“Whether the perpetrators climbed up the outside of the facade or entered from the inside, everything is unclear, nothing is proven. We're still completely in the dark,” said Prüller.

Authorities have been notified, including the State Office for State Security and Extremism Prevention, while police have filed a report. Since no property was damaged, no criminal offense has yet been established, though the church is considering legal action.

The removal of the flags took longer than expected, approximately 48 hours, because a crane had already been booked for an art installation.